Glossary / Lexicon

Deutsch: Spiel / Español: Juego / Português: Jogo / Français: Jeu / Italiano: Gioco

Game in the psychology context refers to structured interactions or behavioral patterns—often unconscious—that individuals engage in to fulfill psychological needs, assert control, manipulate outcomes, or avoid vulnerability. This concept is particularly emphasized in Transactional Analysis (TA), where games are described as recurring patterns of social interaction with hidden motives and predictable outcomes.

Description

Psychological games are not playful in nature—they can be manipulative, emotionally charged, or destructive. People engage in them to satisfy internal drivers or to gain reinforcement of deeply held beliefs about themselves or others (e.g., "I’m not OK,” "People can’t be trusted”).

Common elements of psychological games include:

• Roles: Participants often switch between roles such as Victim, Rescuer, and Persecutor (Karpman Drama Triangle).

• Hidden Motives: The real agenda is not openly discussed.

• Repetition: The pattern repeats across time and relationships.

• Payoff: A predictable negative or emotionally charged outcome that confirms the players’ internal beliefs.

Example: In the game "Why Don’t You â€" Yes But”, one person presents a problem, others offer solutions, but the first person rejects every suggestion, reinforcing a sense of hopelessness or superiority.

Application Area

Games in psychology are studied in:

• Therapy: To identify dysfunctional communication and help clients recognize patterns in relationships.

• Group Dynamics: In families, workplaces, or teams where conflict or passive-aggression is common.

• Education and Counseling: Understanding games helps break cycles of manipulation or emotional dependence.

• Conflict Resolution: Recognizing game dynamics prevents escalation and helps shift toward open communication.

The goal is to move from inauthentic, manipulative interaction toward authentic, adult-to-adult communication.

Risks and Challenges

• Emotional Harm: Games often lead to frustration, guilt, shame, or confusion.

• Relationship Damage: Repetitive game patterns erode trust and intimacy.

• Unconscious Behavior: Many people are unaware they’re playing games, making them hard to stop.

• Resisting Change: Recognizing and stopping games may feel threatening to a person’s identity or coping mechanisms.

Recommendations

• Self-Awareness: Notice patterns in interactions that end with disappointment, blame, or emotional charge.

• Reflect on Roles: Ask yourself if you’re always the helper, the victim, or the attacker in certain situations.

• Encourage Transparency: Open, honest communication reduces the need for indirect or manipulative strategies.

• Set Boundaries: Avoid getting drawn into games by gently refusing to play along.

• Educate Yourself: Reading about Transactional Analysis and communication styles can offer insights.

Treatment and Healing (If Applicable)

When games become a central part of relational or emotional dysfunction, therapy can be transformative:

• Transactional Analysis (TA): This therapeutic model focuses specifically on identifying and stopping games through ego state awareness (Parent-Adult-Child model).

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Helps challenge underlying beliefs that drive game behavior.

• Schema Therapy: Addresses deeper emotional needs and wounds that fuel unhealthy patterns.

• Couples or Family Therapy: Reveals interpersonal games and helps replace them with healthier dynamics.

• Mindfulness: Builds awareness of emotional triggers and increases the ability to choose conscious responses.

Healing comes through authentic engagement—choosing honesty, vulnerability, and mutual respect over manipulation and hidden agendas.

Weblinks

• top500.de: 'Game' in the glossary of the top500.de
• allerwelt-lexikon.de: 'Game' in the allerwelt-lexikon.de (German)
• allerwelt-lexikon.de: 'Spiel' in the allerwelt-lexikon.de (German)

Articles with 'Game' in the title

• Business game: Business game refers to an exercise, usually found in assessment centers, that is designed to simulate the business and marketing activities that take place in an organization
• Confidence game: Confidence game refers to a deceptive means of obtaining money or property from a victim who is led to trust the perpetrator.
• Formal Games: In the context of psychology, the term "formal game" does not have a widely recognized or specific definition that aligns with established psychological theories or practices as directly as other terms like "consummate love" or " . . .
• Games: Games is a term used in industrial and organizational psychology that refers to an absenteeism control method in which games such as poker and bingo are used to reward employee attendance
• Gestalt games: Gestalt games is defined as "Games" developed by the Gestaltists to emphasize the "rules" of Gestalt therapy. These games may usually involve making prescribed verbalizations or engaging in various role-plays
• Language games: Language games is a term which according to Wittgenstein is the linguistic conventions that guide activities within a community. In psychology, 'language games' refers to the idea that language is not a fixed set of rules or structures, . . .
• Non-zero-sum games: Non-zero-sum games are games in which outcomes need not sum to zero. With cooperation, both can win- with competition, both can lose. Non-zero-sum game is an interaction in which both participants can win or lose
• Original word game: Original word game is defined as a game in which adults teach children the names of words. Children point to an object and say, "What's that?" and the adult supplies the name
• PDG (Prisoner’s Dilemma Game): PDG (Prisoner’s Dilemma Game) is defined as a simulation of social interaction in which players must make either cooperative or competitive choices in order to win
• Prisoner’s Dilemma Game: Prisoner’s Dilemma Game or PDG refers to a simulated social dilemma that requires participants to make choices between acting selfishly and cooperatively when selfishness looks better initially but can damage long-term joint outcomes of . . .
• Ultimatum game: Ultimatum game refers to an experimental Bargaining situation in which one individual, the allocator, must propose a division of a shared resource to other members- if they reject the allocators proposal, no one receives any of the . . .
• Zero-sum game: Zero-sum game refers to situation in which one person’s gain is another person's loss. In psychology, a zero-sum game refers to a situation where one person's gain is equivalent to another person's loss

Summary

Game, in the psychology context, represents a hidden and repetitive interaction pattern where participants play roles to meet emotional needs—often at a cost. While games provide temporary emotional payoffs, they hinder genuine connection and well-being. By recognizing and exiting these patterns, individuals can foster healthier, more authentic relationships and emotional growth.

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